Apparatus for controlling the insertion and withdrawal of pile wires of a loom



Sept. 22, 1964 J. PARK ETAL 3,149,647

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE INSERTION AND WITHDRAWAL. OF PILE WIRES OF A LOOM Filed March 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 58 3o 46 4'! 5 5"! I d5 4 49 qo C o 55 INVENTORS 022m J Plum {'0 EDUJHRDT. HUMPHREYS ATTORNEY Sept. 22, 1964 o. J. PARK ETAL 3,149,647

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE INSERTION AND WITHDRAWAL OF FILE wmzs OF A LOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1963 INVENTORS Or z zm J. PmzKs 6n as Eowmao T. HUMPHREYS F1 6'- 4 7/1 U BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent APPARATUS FOR ONTROLLING THE INSERTIGN AND WITHDRAWAL 0F PILE WIRES OF A LOOM Orrin J. Park and Edward T. Humphrey s, Bloomshurg,

Pa, assignors to The Magee Carpet Company, Bioomsburg, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,431 20 Claims. (Cl. 139-42) This invention relates to apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a carpet weaving loom.

In looms for weaving pile fabrics, such as a carpet, at set of pile wires are successively inserted in the shed and are then successively withdrawn and reinserted. Various types of reciprocating means has been employed for withdrawing and inserting the pile wires but the means heretofore employed required that a wire be fully withdrawn before the same wire was reinserted. It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a wire controlling mechanism which will simultaneously insert a wire as another wire is being withdrawn which enables the loom to be operated at a higher speed.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a pair of wire carriers movable in opposite directions, one of the carriers serving to withdraw a pile wire while the other carrier is simultaneously inserting a wire previously withdrawn by the first carrier.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing wire carriers movable in opposite directions, one of the carriers having means for engaging and withdrawing a wire and the other carrier having means for magnetically attracting the wire withdrawn and inserting the wire at the same time the next wire is being withdrawn.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing means for guiding the wires while withdrawing and inserting the wires and for shifting the wires from a withdrawal to an inserting position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wire controlling mechanism,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism,

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a detail side view of the cam for lifting and lowering the shifting bar,

FIG. 5 is a detail plan view of the carriers showing their positions when the wire is transferred from one carrier to the other,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the withdrawal carrier, and,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the inserting carrier.

Referring to the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration a preferred example of the invention is shown, the numeral 5 denotes a set of pile wires that have been inserted in the fabric being woven. A cross bar 6 extending across the set of wires, serves as an abutment for the heads 7 of the wires to limit the insertion of the wires in the fabric. A pair of endless link chains 8 and 9 extend longitudinally from the set of wires with the chain 8 in a plane above the plane of the chain 9, the chains being disposed in diverging relation with the heads of the wires disposed between the chains at one end. Each of the chains are trained around idler sprocket wheels 10 and 10' and driven sprocket wheels ll and 11'. The shafts 12 and 12' of the wheels 1i and 11' have s rockets 13 and 13 mounted on their lower ends which are driven by an endless chain 14 trained around an idler sprocket 15- and a sprocket 16 mounted on shaft 7 17 which through bevel gears 18 and i9 is connected to upper edge of a wire.

3,149,647 Patented Sept. 22, 1964 the main drive shaft 20. The sprocket wheels 11 and 11' rotate in the same direction so that the opposed runs of the chains 8 and 9 move in opposite directions, the run of chain 8 moving towards the set of wires while the run of chain 9 moves away from the set of wires.

A bed plate 27 is disposed beneath the chains 8 and 9 having longitudinal guide slots 21 and 22 disposed beneath the inner runs of the chains. Attached to the chain 8 at spaced intervals are carriers 23 which serve to insert the pile wires and attached to chain 9, at spaced intervals, are carriers 24 which serve to withdraw the pile wires. The carriers are so spaced that when the withdrawal carrier 24 reaches the end of its withdrawal stroke and the withdrawn wire is detached from the carrier, the insertion carrier 23 has not yet reached a position to pick-up the Withdrawn wire. The carriers 24 consist of U-shaped brackets fitted over a link of chain 9 and secured thereto by the pivot pins 25 of the link. The pivot pins 25 have projecting ends with rollers 26 journaled thereon which engage in the guide slot 22 of bed plate 27. The outer wall 28 of the bracket has a hook 29 formed thereon adapted to engage the opening 30 in the head 7 of a pile wire as the chain 9 travels around the sprocket wheel 10' and thus withdraws the wire from the fabric. Carriers 23 are formed of U-shaped brackets fitted over a link of chain 8 and hingedly connected to the lower edge of the bracket, as at 31, is a depending plate 32 having a magnet 32' mounted in the center thereof. The upper and rear edges of the plate 32 are surrounded by a flange 33 for engaging the head 7 of a wire held by the magnet and the forward edge of plate 32 is rounded. An idler sprocket 34 is mounted adjacent the drive sprocket wheel 11 of chain 8 for moving the inner run of the chain towards the chain 9 and a cam surface 35 mounted in the bed plate moves the inner run of chain 9 inwardly so that when the carrier 24 reaches the end of its withdrawal stroke, the cam surface 35 moves the carrier inwardly to detach the hook 29 from the head of the wire. After the head of the wire is released from carrier 24 there is a slight time delay before the flange 33 of plate 32 engages the head of the withdrawn wire which is drawn by magnet 32' into engagement with the carrier 23 and as carrier 23 moves forward the wire is inserted in the fabric.

Mounted adjacent the set of wires above and transversely of the chains 8 and 9 are a pair of reciprocating bars 36 for shifting the free ends of the wires from a withdrawal to an inserting position. The bars at one end have downwardly off-set portions 37 and depending from the off-set portions are arms 38 having at their free ends a fork terminal 39 for engagement over the The bars 36 are disposed between spaced parallel fixed panels 40, each panel at its forward end having a cam box 41 attached to the inner face of the panel. The cam 42 is inclined upwardly and is pivotally mounted as at 42' and a pin having a roller 43, car ried by the off-set portion 37 of the bar 36, rides on the cam and as the bar 36 is reciprocated forward it is raised upwardly and then dwells for a short time at the upper end of the cam until the wire is withdrawn and is positioned beneath the forked terminal 39. When the wire is in position the bar 36 is moved forward to discharge the roller 43 over the end of cam 42 allowing the'bar to drop to engage the forked terminal with the shank of the wire. A spring 44 engaged with the upper edge of each of the bars 36 normally depresses the bars to hold the forked ends in engagement with the wires.

The bars 36 are mounted to reciprocate in opposite directions in a channel member 45 mounted on the frame 46 of the loom and have their rear ends connected by pivoted links 45' to one end of rocker shafts 47 journaled in bearings 43. The other end of the shafts 47 are connected by links 49 and rods 5t; to rock levers 51 which are actuated by cam wheels 52 to impart a reciprocating motion to bars 36 in opposite directions. Attached to the outer side of one of the panels 44) is a spring pressed finger 53 which is normally pressed down between a wire being withdrawn and the chain to hold the wire in spaced relation to the chain. The wires being Withdrawn and inserted are supported in spaced relation to the bed plate by a pair of parallel arms 54 and 54' pivotally attached at opposite ends, as at 6t and 61, to the bed plate with their free ends extending across the path of the wires being inserted and withdrawn. Each arm is provided with a lateral lug 55 adjacent its free end which abuts the pivot point of the opposite arm and a spring 56 extending between the arms yieldably holds the arms in the path of the wires. The wires are supported by the arms above the bed plate but are free to swing when engaged by the head of a wire being withdrawn or inserted to allow the wire to pass the arms. Attached to the end of the cross bar 6 adjacent the chain 8 is a finger 57 having a curved face 58 which engages the curved forward edge of plate 32 to separate the wire being inserted from the carrier 23.

In operation, the set of wires 5 are inserted in the fabric being woven and when a carrier 24 carried by chain Q is moved to a position opposite the head '7 of a wire the hook 29 engages in opening 30 in the head and as the chain continues in its movement the wire is with drawn from the fabric. When the wire starts its withdrawal movement one of the reciprocating bars 36 has been elevated by action of the cam 42 to raise the forked terminal 39 above the path of movement of the wire. As the wire passes beneath the bar 35 the bar is moved forward to drop the forked terminal over the upper edge of the wire to guide the wire in its movement. The spring finger 53 holds the wire in spaced relation to the chain and one of the arms 54 support the wire above the bed plate 27. When the wire has been fully withdrawn the cam surface 35 will separate carrier 24 from the head of the Wire. The released wire will remain stationary for a timed interval to allow carrier 24 to move out of the path of carrier 23 and when carrier 23 reaches a po sition opposite the head of the wire, the flange 33 will engage the head and the magnet 32' will draw the head into snug engagement with the carrier. Also the bar 36 in engagement with the wire will be reciprocated to swing the free end of the wire towards the chain ii and to guide the wire while being inserted. As the chain 8 moves the wire forward another carrier on chain 9 has reached a position for engagement with the head of another wire so that a wire is being withdrawn simultaneously with the insertion of the wire previously withdrawn.

When the wire has been fully inserted in the shed it isdetached from the carrier 23 by the curved face of the finger 57 which engages the curved forward edge of plate 32.

It is to-be understood that the form of the invention herein shown and described is a preferred example of the same and changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile Wires of a pile fabric loom comprising a bed plate ex, tending longitudinally from a set of wires inserted in a fabric in a horizontal plane, a series of carriers on one side of the set of wires movable longitudinally of said bed plate for successively withdrawing the wires, a series of carriers on the other side of the set of wires r'novable in one direction longitudinally of the bed plate for successively inserting the wires withdrawn by said first series of carriers, and means for guiding an inserting carrier into'position for engagement with a withdrawn wire. a

2. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 1 including means for shifting the free end of a withdrawn wire to an inserting position.

3. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 1 including means slidably supporting the wires above said bed plate.

4. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 1 including means for detaching a withdrawn wire from its carrier.

5. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile Wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 1 including means on the insertion carriers for drawing a withdrawn wire into engagement with said carrier.

6. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom having a set of wires inserted in a fabric being woven in a horizontal plane, comprising a series of carriers for successively withdrawing the pile wires from the fabric, a series of carriers for successively inserting the withdrawn pile wires, means for moving the second named carriers in converging relation to a withdrawn pile wire for engagement with said Wire and then in a diverging relation to said first named carriers for inserting the pile wire.

7. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 6 including means for detaching the wires from the firstnamed carriers when at the nearest point of convergence to the second-named carriers.

8. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile Wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 6 includ ing means on the second-named carriers for drawing a Withdrawn wire into engagement with said carriers.

9. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 6 including means for shifting the free end of a withdrawn wire to an inserting position.

10. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom having a set of wires inserted in a fabric being woven in a horizontal plane comprising an endless chain of spaced carriers movable in one direction longitudinally from the head of the wire to be withdrawn, means on said carriers for engagement with the head of a' wire, means for detaching the head of a wire from said carriers when said wire has been withdrawn, an endless chain of carriers movable in the opposite direction to the movement of said first chain of carriers, the carriers of said chains being disposed in close relation to the head of a withdrawn wire, means on said second carriers for engaging the head of a withdrawn wire for inserting the wire, and means on said second carriers for drawing the head of a withdrawn wire into engagement with said second carriers.

ll. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 10 including means for shifting the free end of a withdrawn wire to an inserting position.

12. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 10 including means slidably supporting a withdrawn wire.

13. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 19 including means for synchronizing the movement of said carriers. i

14. Apparatus for insert'ng and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom having a set of Wires inserted inia'fabric being woven in a horizontal plane. comprising a bed plate extending longitudinally from the set of wires, a pair of endless chains mounted longitudinally of said bed plate on opposite sides of the set of wires, carriers mounted, on said chains ,in spaced apart relation, means 3 for moving said chains in opposite directions about fixed axes, means on the carriers of one chain for engaging V the head of a wire to withdraw the wire from the fabric, means for guiding the other chain into converging relation to the head of a withdrawn wire, and means on the carriers of the other chain for engaging the head of a withdrawn wire and inserting the wire in the fabric being Woven.

15. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 14 including means for shifting the free end of a withdrawn wire to an inserting position.

16. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 14 in cluding means on the carriers of the other chain for drawing the head of a wire into engagement with the carriers.

17. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom having a set of wires inserted in a fabric being woven in a horizontal plane comprising a horizontal bed plate extending longitudinally from the set of wires, a pair of chains mounted above said bed plate for continuous movement in opposite directions, said chains having one end disposed on opposite sides of the set of Wires and their opposite ends disposed in converging relation, a series of carriers mounted on one of said chains for engaging the head of a Wire to be withdrawn, means for detaching the wire from said carrier when said carrier is near the point of convergence of said chains, a series of carriers mounted on the other of said chains for engaging the head of a detached wire and inserting the wire in the fabric being woven while the next wire is being simultaneously withdrawn.

18. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 17 including means for guiding and shifting the free end of a withdrawn wire to an inserting position.

19. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom as described in claim 17 wherein said carriers for inserting the wires have magnets for drawing a withdrawn Wire into engagement with said carriers.

20. Apparatus for inserting and withdrawing the pile wires of a pile fabric loom having a set of wires inserted in a fabric being Woven in a horizontal plane comprising a horizontal bed plate extending longitudinally from the set of Wires, a pair of endless chains mounted in a horizontal plane above said bed plate for continuous movement in opposite directions towards and from the set of wires, the inner runs of said chains at one end being disposed on opposite sides of the heads of the set of wires and at their opposite ends in converging relation, carriers on one of said endless chains for engaging the head of a Wire to withdraw the wire from the fabric, means for detaching the withdrawn wire from the carrier at the point of convergence of the inner runs of said chains, carriers on the other endless chain movable towards the set of wires, means on said last mentioned carriers for drawing the head of a withdrawn wire into engagement with said carriers for inserting the wire in the fabric, means for guiding and shifting the free ends of said wires from a Withdrawal position to an inserting position, means for slidably supporting the wires above the bed plate while withdrawing and inserting the wires, and means for detaching an inserted wire from the carrier of the inserting chain.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 971,355 Brooks Sept. 27, 1910 1,484,008 Chalk Feb. 19, 1924 1,840,856 Stone Jan. 12, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,277 Great Britain of 1850 

1. APPARATUS FOR INSERTING AND WITHDRAWING THE PILE WIRES OF A PILE FABRIC LOOM COMPRISING A BED PLATE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM A SET OF WIRES INSERTED IN A FABRIC IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, A SERIES OF CARRIERS ON ONE SIDE OF THE SET OF WIRES MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BED PLATE FOR SUCCESSIVELY WITHDRAWING THE WIRES, A SERIES OF CARRIERS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SET OF WIRES MOVABLE IN ONE DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY OF THE BED PLATE FOR SUCCESSIVELY INSERTING THE WIRES WITHDRAWN BY SAID FIRST SERIES OF CARRIERS, AND MEANS FOR GUIDING AN INSERTING CARRIER INTO POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A WITHDRAWN WIRE. 